We’ve added some new domain extensions to our roster since the start of 2018. After years of launching new domains at a rapid pace, releases of new gTLDs have slowed down somewhat, but there are a couple of great tech-focused ones on the horizon that domain watchers should be keeping tabs on.

Now Available at Webnames

.AI – It seems that you can’t scroll through your newsfeed these days for more than a few minutes without running into a story about artificial intelligence. What’s more, Canada is a hotbed of AI development and boasts the third largest concentration of AI researchers worldwide. With machine learning rapidly moving forward, destabilizing and disrupting major industries like transportation, healthcare and the retail sector, AI is becoming firmly entrenched in our day-to-day lives. While .AI is not a new domain, activity in both the primary .AI namespace and the secondary resale market is ramping up as more corporations and startups invest in AI research and product development. Originally brought online to serve as the country code for Anguilla, a British Overseas Territory in the Eastern Caribbean, the .AI extension is an unrestricted ccTLD that can be registered by anyone.

.BOATS – Also new in the mix is the .BOATS gTLD. Aimed at businesses and individuals in the marine industry, the .boats domain is a fresh namespace that’s full of meaningful and memorable options. An alternative to a legacy TLDs like .COM, .ORG or .NET., a .BOATS domain extension conveys exactly what your company is about to potential consumers and individuals searching for boat or marine related content online.

New Tech Focused Domains On the Horizon

At long last Google’s registry will be releasing both .APP and .DEV this spring with early access slated for May 01, 2018.

.APP – The highly anticipated .APP domain provides developers a relevant extension to create a dedicated website which can bring their app to a wider audience, serve as an informational resource and place to nurture its user community. With apps distributed across numerous ecosystems, a website on a .app extension is a natural fit as a home for related information on the web.

As part of its push for greater web security and wide-scale adoption of HTTPS, Google has enabled HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) for both .APP and .DEV, among other TLDs it oversees. Google’s requirement is intended to make namespaces to be secure by default and means that all registrants will need to configure an SSL certificate to enable HTTPS on .APP and .DEV websites. You can learn more about Google’s HSTS TLD policy here.